WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) and #1 Keyshawn Davis (12-0, 8 KOs) are finalizing a fight for Friday, February 14th, for a main event clash on ESPN at the 5,600-seat Hula Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Mike Coppinger is reporting that Berinchyk-Davis is close to being finalized. Both guys are from Top Rank, so it’s a no-brainer for them. They’re trying to make a star out of the 2020 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn in a hurry. They need a star at 135, even if it’s fake.
Top Rank has picked the weakest of the 135-lb champions for Keyshawn to fight in 36-year-old Berinchyk, but it’s still far from a gimme. He almost lost to Nahir Albright, which gives you an idea of his limitations.
Confidence Or Arrogance?
Davis is a great self-promoter, read: braggart, but he’s not beaten anyone. Keyshawn has been pushing for fights against Gervonta Davis, Vasily Lomachenko, and Teofimo Lopez but has shown no willingness to avenge his four losses to Andy Cruz. That gives fans the impression that it’s all about money.
“I feel like Berinchyk, his strongest attribute is his footwork. I reel like he has great footwork,” said Keyshawn Davis to ESPN about WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk. “He’s consistently always moving. It’s hard to hit a moving target.
“I feel like Berinchyk has sneaky power and sneaky strength. I feel like people underestimate his IQ. I feel like he goes in there, and thinks about what he’s going to do next, and he executes.
“I don’t feel like no fighter at 135 goes the distance with me,” said Keyshawn, forgetting that Miguel Madueno, Nahir Albright, and Francesco Patera all went the distance. “My honest opinion. I don’t feel like nobody in the 135-lb division can compete with me other than the top guys. I also think those top guys definitely don’t go the distance with me.
“I feel like I’m a unique fighter myself. I’m huge at 135, and I can also make it quite comfortably. My first time fighting with a rehydration clause, it was so easy for me to make it, and I was so elusive. My natural weight is 135, and I feel like everybody at 135 can’t compete with ‘The Businessman’ [Keyshawn’s nickname that he’s given to himself].
See what I mean? Keyshawn can boast with the best of them, and perhaps the #1 in the sport. It’s too bad he doesn’t have the talent to back up his self-promotion. He just comes across as full of himself and very insecure.
Gervonta Dreams
“I’d fight Tank in my next fight, but of course, people have their dates. I told him in our DMs, ‘After our next fight, let’s fight,’ and I feel like that’s definitely a possibility we can make it happen. If not Tank, I’d go for Raymond Muratalla,” said Keyshawn.
I hate to break this to Keyshawn, but his chances of fighting Tank Davis before he retires at the end of 2025 are slim and none. He needs to be realistic and focus on fights that can actually be made, like those between Andy Cruz, Raymond Muratalla, and Edwin De Los Santos.
“Potentially, he gets the IBF title, and we can fight for the IBF title,” said Davis. “If not, I could still fight him because he’s with Top Rank. I would love to fight Muratalla if I can’t get Gervonta. It’s going to be a big year. We’re kicking it off with my first world title, and we’re going for Gervonta or Raymond Muratalla for a unification.
“Where I’m at right now. I’m with the best team in boxing. BMB Boxing. BoMac, and Terence Crawford. I’m also with the Davis brothers, DV3,” said Keyshawn about his brothers, who haven’t shown much ability.
“I represent DV3. There are three of us. Kevin and Keon Davis. I want you to know where I’m at right now. I want to be the face of boxing. That kid right now [referring to himself] is the best in entertainment and performance. I feel like with each fight, I’m going to continue to show that, starting with my last fight [Gustavo Lemos],” said Keyshawn.
Keyshawn’s brothers are just starting out like him, and they haven’t shown any kind of talent that suggests that they’ll ever become contenders. He may not, either. Most of Keyshawn’s 12 fights as a pro have been lackluster performances against tomato cans, including his last one against tiny 5’5″ Gustavo Lemos, who’d drained down from 140 to fight him after he cherry-picked the guy after his loss to Richardson Hitchins.
